High output ileostomy, fast digestive transit and bacterial overgrowth issues

Hi Rach

Welcome to the online community, somehow this is a place that no one wants to join but your journey has guided you to us and I am pleased to welcome you to the stoma support group, we are a friendly lot and are very supportive of each other and try to help others with problems based on our own experiences, unfortunately one thing we've all found is that everything we do is based on trial and error and tweaking other members solutions and it usually works, so let's hope that one of us has the magic solution to help you.

It's very annoying and frustration to being suffering the same as were before the procedure which in theory was supposed to be the cure.

I'd like to talk briefly about your OMEPRAZOLE and ask which ones you are taking, if you are taking the modified release capsules I would speak to the doctors as these capsules, because of your high output, can pass straight through you and you lose all benefits, I had to speak to my GP about it and explain the problem with the aid of leaflets and advice from support groups, I was prescribed hard tablets which I have been on for over 3 weeks. 

With regard to your high output I see you are relying on the good old go to Imodium when diarrhoea or high output is causing the problem, I am assuming that you get these on prescription but has the doctor prescribed more that the package leaflet states as the doctor can increase the dosage to 16 mg per day. It might even be worth looking at the other variants of Immodium to see if they make any difference.

Other meds that could help are codeine again maybe speak to your doctor.

There is another product called fybogel normally used to help with constipation but it can also be used with diarrhoea as it bulks up the output.

I would take care with antibiotics if they are slow release they might pass through your body, especially if they are in capsule forms.

If you take other medication I would check and speak to your doctor if they are slow release. 

You might also want to consider probiotics either in tablet form or by having yoghurts that have them in.

Hopefully they will start you on TPN soon and your body gets the nutrients you need with a hope that you will have added vitamins. Depending on your age, height and overall health you'll probably be on about 2 litres per day but you'll need a lot of monitoring whilst you are on it, will you taking this at home.

You should also about your B12 levels and have them checked.

I am pleased that you are managing well with your Ileostomy apart from the high output and please don't hesitate to contact me at anytime if you have any other problems and I'll try to help, even if you just want a chat with someone I'm always about. Glad that the girls have adapted to their "new mummy" and little Gracie

You probably know this already but the following may be of interest to you

Low Irritant - High Fibre Diet

Fibre Content in Foods (from USA)

I hope they can slow your output down very soon and you can get back to, your new, normal

Ian

Rach

On a side note maybe you could help us when you feel upto it by telling us how you explained your stoma to the girls, their initial reaction and how they eventually accepted mummy looking differently and where they got the name Gracie from. Your experience in this will be a great help to other mummies in the future about to become an ostomate

Hope you can help.

Many thanks 

Ian